The Solomon Islands: Many assumed the blond hair of Melanesia was the result of gene flow ¿ a trait passed on by European explorers, traders and others who visited in the preceding centuries

The inhabitants of the Solomon Islands - east of Papua New Guinea - are very dark-skinned - but have puzzled scientists for decades with their blond hair.

Now a genetic study has found that the islanders have a 'homegrown' gene that gives them blond hair - and it's different from the one in Europeans.

‘Its frequency is between 5 and 10 percent across the Solomon Islands, which is about the same as where I'm from,’ said study author Eimear Kenny, PhD, who was born in Ireland.

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